Give Blood: Paseo Nuevo Drive Offers Lifesaving Chance in Santa Barbara

KEYT on April 14, 2026

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A simple stop in downtown Santa Barbara could help save lives.

A community blood drive is returning to Paseo Nuevo, giving residents and visitors an easy way to donate and support patients in need. The Vitalant bloodmobile will be set up Friday at De La Guerra Place, right in front of the Paseo Nuevo Cinemas.

Organizers say the goal is to make donating as convenient as possible, with both appointments and walk-ins welcome throughout the afternoon.

Incentive is also part of the push. Anyone who donates blood between April 6th and April 30th will be automatically entered for a chance to win one of two ten-thousand-dollar gift cards.

Community leaders say events like this bring people together while making a direct impact on local healthcare needs.

The drive runs from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with sign-ups available online through Vitalant.

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Northbound ramps of Highway 63 at Grindstone Parkway to close April 20, will reopen in June

KMIZ on April 14, 2026

ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The northbound ramps for getting on and off Highway 63 at Grindstone Parkway in Columbia will close beginning on Monday, April 20, according to a Monday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Both northbound ramps are expected to be reopened by the end of June, the release says. The southbound ramps will not be affected.

“Currently, East New Haven Road is closed from just east of the U.S. Route 63 northbound on- and off-ramps to the new alignment of Lenoir Street and a portion of Lemone Industrial Boulevard is closed where it joins East New Haven Road,” the release says. “These roadways closed in March 2026 for electrical work, drainage improvements, roadway widening/reconstruction, and the addition of two new traffic signals on New Haven Road to improve traffic flow.”

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New chapter for UCSB Athletics as they accept invitation to join WCC

KEYT on April 14, 2026

Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – UCSB is making a bold move to leave the Big West and the Gauchos will rise in the west with the West Coast Conference.

At a press conference at UCSB, WCC Commissioner Stu Jackson announced “When you enter a place like this today, you get a little bit of a sense of the energy and the excitement for what this day brings. But I will say this to you that today is an exciting day for the West Coast Conference as well. I’m honored to officially announce that UC Santa Barbara has accepted our invitation to join the WCC.”

Jackson said the WCC tried in the past to lure UCSB but they were turned down. But the change of UCSB leadership in 2025 from Chancellor Henry Yang to Chancellor Dennis Assanis produced a different tone.

“We first reached out to UC Santa Barbara well over a year ago with no success, and when the change in leadership happened we decided to take a shot again,” said Jackson. “We found an enthusiastic caller on the other end of the phone this time, certainly it’s been a process to get to this day, but it’s one that was done with like minds in terms of coming together as partner to this day.”

“We have been at places both, me and my wife Eleni where athletics is indeed the front porch of the university,” began Chancellor Assanis. “When we arrived, the first event we had with students was at our Thunderdome. We basically said, look, we have everything here. It’s brewing. It’s ready to ignite. Let’s give them the opportunity. Yes, that was an active objective from day one. Again, we believe it’s such a catalyst for other wonderful things that can happen for the university, the ability to tell our story and share it with audiences nationally. I was looking very quickly, talking with our athletics director. How can we relay this story to other audiences and can we do it right now in the conference. Where we are, which we obviously value, but it does have some geographic limitation that doesn’t quite fit the vision we had. We really want to expand and compete at the highest levels, and give others the opportunity to do that. We’re attracted to the fact that the WCC gets multiple bids to get in the big dance. Those were factors, but as to how the dancing happens, we were not the ones who danced first. I know the WCC has expressed interest in Santa Barbara before, so the rest is history.”

Kelly Barsky, The Arnhold Director of Athletics, added “We’ve been going through a national landscape for a couple of years now of change and adjustment. Our focus has always been around how do we support the student athletes, the coaches, the programs, the people, the community of UCSB and ensure that we’re positioned strategically and appropriately. In terms of when is the moment, there’s been an open evaluation for a number of years as we continue to look at what UCSB needs, what do we bring, and how do we continue to grow, and then a moment all aligned. A moment aligned with, I mentioned the great leadership of Chancellor Assanis, it aligned in working with Stu. It aligned in working with some of the WCC, presidents, colleagues. There, that is we looked at for all the reasons we talked about the markets being able to share our story, the alignment in investment academics, athletically.”

UCSB will become a full member of the WCC on July 1, 2027 and will be the 12th school along with UC San Diego, Loyola Marymount University, University of the Pacific, Pepperdine University, University of Portland, Saint Mary’s College, University of San Diego, University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University Seattle University and Denver University.

The Gauchos will still compete in the Big West during the 2026-’27 season.

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105-Year-Old Santa Barbara Veteran Reflects on a Life of Innovation and Optimism

KEYT on April 14, 2026

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – One century of memory meets a life still moving forward.

“The whole world should stop because it’s my birthday,” said Stanley Clothier of Santa Barbara.

Clothier is 105 years old, carrying a lifetime of perspective from one of the most transformative eras in modern history.

“3/4 of the years in the United States Navy, and almost all of it in schools at one time doing things that were a major interest,” said Clothier.

During World War II, his work helped advance early unmanned aircraft designs—technology that would one day evolve into modern drones.

“To me World War II was a very interesting part of my life … and it was very important to the development of my personality,” said Clothier.

His daughter Joanie Saint Denis believes humility has always defined his story.

“He’s living life eating well,” said Saint Denis.

“My absolute favorite thing to drink is water,” said Clothier.

“He’s got great friends and he really believes in Community. He loves people,” said Saint Denis.

His strength comes not from achievements, but from the way he sees the world.

“He’s going for the record … 116 I think is what he wants to do,” said Saint Denis.

For Stanley, each birthday is less about age, and more about perspective.

“First thing is you gotta do is you gotta choose your parents carefully, hahaha,” said Clothier.

Beyond his accomplishments, Clothier credits his longevity to a lifelong sense of optimism and perspective.

His outlook, combined with strong family connections, continues to inspire those around him.

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Rolla man accused of having child porn on his phone

KMIZ on April 14, 2026

Ryan Shiner

Paul Allen Dollar

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Rolla man was charged on Monday in Phelps County with a count of possessing child pornography.

Paull Allen Dollar, 62, is being held at the Phelps County Jail on a $25,000 bond. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The probable cause statement says police were called on Saturday and spoke with someone who had been posing as a 14-year-old girl online and had been talking with Dollar since November.

Dollar allegedly admitted to police that he “may have had nude pictures of underage females sent to him in the past but he believed he had deleted them,” the statement says. Police found two images on Dollar’s phone featuring sexually explicit images of children much younger than was previously listed, the statement says.

Police also wrote that they found other “sexual conversations” Dollar had with people who had sent him pictures of child, the statement says.

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Woman charged after child falls out of moving Nissan Altima, tests positive for meth

KMIZ on April 14, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Rolla woman was charged with a pair of felonies after a child allegedly fell out of a Nissan Altima on April 4.

Kirsten McCracken was charged on Friday in Phelps County with child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. A warrant was issued and no bond was set.

The probable cause statement says Rolla police were called to the 3700 block of Route V after a 3-year-old girl fell out of a moving vehicle. McCracken allegedly told police that she left Reagan Drive with the youth being in a child safety seat, but the girl was able to unbuckle herself, opened a door and fell out of the vehicle, the statement says.

Officers noted that the child’s car seat was not properly fastened and that she had cuts with “heavy bleeding” that required her to be flown to a hospital, the statement says. Police also wrote that the girl tested positive for methamphetamine.

“McCracken was unable to provide a reasonable explanation for how,” the youth tested positive for meth, the statement says.

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Woman sees several animal abuse counts dropped after indictment filed, hearing set for Monday

KMIZ on April 14, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several charges against a Boone County dog breeder have been dropped after a superseding indictment was filed on Friday.

Melissa Sanders, 26, of Columbia, is now charged with 13 counts of felony animal abuse and a lone count of misdemeanor animal abuse. She is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. She previously faced 29 felony counts of animal abuse.

An arraignment for the new set of charges is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday, April 20. A jury trial was scheduled for the following week.

Sanders ran Magnum Opus German Shepherds and a number of dead dogs, including a dozen dog skulls, were found at the property of the business when law enforcement served a search warrant in 2025, according to court documents in previous reporting. Several malnourished dogs were also found at the property.

Court documents say at least two living dogs that were found were on the brink of death.

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Honduran national sentenced to Decades in prison for lewd conduct with a child

KIFI on April 14, 2026

Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A 53-year-old Honduran man could spend close to three decades in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a seven-year-old Idaho Falls girl.

Jose Everado Vidal Leonor, a Honduran national, was sentenced to 26 years in prison with no eligibility for parole for 8 years for Lewd Conduct with a Child Under 16.

The charges stem from an incident in June 2025. According to court documents, the victim’s family had left her home alone with Leonor. The assault was interrupted by two witnesses who returned to the home. The first witness reportedly opened a bedroom door and caught Leonor in the act, while a second witness told police they saw Leonor naked on top of the child.

Leonore was originally charged with one count of rape involving a victim under 16 and a perpetrator over 18.

On October 6, Leonor entered an Alford plea, pleading guilty in light of the evidence while still maintaining his innocence. In exchange, the original rape charge was reduced to lewd conduct.

Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal confirmed that Leonor is currently subject to a federal immigration detainer, meaning upon his eventual release from state custody, he will be transferred to federal authorities for potential deportation proceedings.

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Butte County farmers face possible water shutoffs amid curtailment enforcement

KIFI on April 14, 2026

Par Kermani

BUTTE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Some Idaho farmers could be at risk of losing water, as the state begins enforcing curtailments this spring.

Under Idaho’s “prior appropriation” doctrine, water rights operate on a strict priority system: “first in time, first in right.” Senior rights holders (those with the oldest claims) receive their full allocation first, while junior users run the risk of being shut off entirely during dry years.

This year, low snowpack and early demand are putting that system to the test, forcing the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) to issue curtailment orders earlier than expected.

The current curtailment orders center on the Big Lost and Little Lost River basins. Following the passage of Senate Bill 1341 in 2024, water users in these areas were required to join a mitigation plan to avoid shutdowns. They were given about 16 months to comply, with that deadline taking effect in November of 2025.

State officials say enforcement is already underway. According to a recent IDWR press release, agents will begin checking groundwater users in the field this spring to ensure compliance. Those who are not part of an approved mitigation plan could have their wells curtailed or “red-tagged.”

According to Water Rights Attorney Thomas J. Budge, the transition has been anything but smooth.

“This year, the Big Lost and Little Lost basins have been brought in by the Department of Water Resources,” Budge explained. “Their water rights are now subject to curtailment unless they participate in a mitigation plan. Earlier this year, those districts asked to join the existing 2024 plan.”

The 2024 mitigation plan is designed to let groundwater users keep pumping, but only if they reduce their water use or replace it through storage and recharge.

But to join the plan, all parties have to agree, and that’s where the process has stalled.

Currently, Budge says the Surface Water Coalition—representing senior water users—has refused to sign the addendum that would allow the Big and Little Lost basins to join. Without that signature, the IDWR cannot lift the curtailment orders.

“Because of that, the Department of Water Resources still has curtailment orders in effect in the Big Lost and the Little Lost basins,” Budge said. “Those farmers are just very concerned. It was a really hot, dry March, and their crops need water, and they’re under curtailment.”

Budge who is representing groundwater users filed a motion asking the state to approve the addendum.

According to Budge “After I filed that Friday, the department promptly issued a notice requiring the parties to come to a status conference on Wednesday of this week. And the purpose of that status conference is to ask why the Surface Water Coalition has refused to sign the addendum.” he said “And, our hope is that the director, approves the addendum and lifts the curtailment so that the farmers and the big lost and the little lost basins can, irrigate their crops.

State officials say time is critical. A status conference is scheduled this week, as irrigation season has already begun in some of the affected basins and curtailment remains an “imminent outcome” if no resolution is reached.

The Idaho Department of Water Resources is expected to make a decision later this week. 

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Portland driver killed in head-on collision with semi-truck on Highway 97 in Klamath County

KTVZ on April 13, 2026

Barney Lerten

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Portland man was killed Sunday afternoon in a head-on collision with a semi truck on Highway 97 in Klamath County Sunday, Oregon State Police said Monday.

Troopers responded around 3:45 p.m. to the two-vehicle crash near milepost 220.

A preliminary OSP investigation found that Mark Evan Simpson, 48, of Portland was heading north at the wheel of a black Kia Forte when he came upon the scene of an earlier, three-vehicle non-injury crash.

The Kia crossed the center line and drove on the southbound travel lane, colliding with a semi driven by a a British Columbia resident who was pulling onto the highway shoulder to avoid a disabled vehicle from the first crash, troopers said.

After the collision, Simpson’s Kia spun back across the northbound lanes, coming to rest against a tree off the highway’s northbound shoulder.

Simpson died at the scene, OSP said, while the truck driver was uninjured.

Highway 97 was closed or affected for about five hours by the crash and on-scene investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Chemult Rural Fire Protection District, Chiloquin Fire and Rescue, and the Oregon Department of Transportation. 

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